Tag Archives: college enrollment

We should be honest: applying for college can become a stressful preoccupation.

Just relax, take a few deep breaths.

For those of you entering your senior year in high school – and your parents – you may be feeling the pressure of having to make a decision, filling out the applications. You perception is that time is running out.

You have an appointment with your high school guidance counselor the second week in September and you are tired of all the “road trips” and facts and figures. Conversations at dinnertime focuses on costs and how your family can/will pay for college.

There was a wonderful article written by Doug Belkin, an educational writer for The Wall Street Journal on May 7th. The article, Elite Colleges Don’t Buy Happiness, reported on a poll conducted by Gallup of 30,000 college graduates in 50 schools. The bottom line: it doesn’t matter so much where you study but what is important is what you study.

So take a deep breath a re-read that sentence. Do you really want the pressure of applying only to schools that admit less that 5% of all those that apply? Is that you? Maybe it is. But maybe it isn’t. Only you can decide.

The Hales expressed their disappointment they never thought to ask some of the questions listed in my book when they applied to college and when their children were applying to colleges.

Based on what I heard, I will answer in this space, over the next two blogs, the questions the Hales wished they had asked.

Transfer Credits

After Tom was awarded an associate’s degree, he applied to transfer to a four year college and assumed all of his credits would transfer. No mention of transfer credits was included in his acceptance package. After numerous phone calls, Tom learned only three courses would transfer. He never enrolled in the four year college.

Takeaway: Be sure you have a clear understanding of how many of your college credits will transfer before you send in a deposit.

Application Acceptance

Sydney was one of the few female pilots in her state at the age of 17. Her high school guidance counselor never suggested her aviation skills, particularly at such a young age, could be a “hook” when applying to colleges. Sydney did not enroll in her first choice school but transferred after six months.

Takeaway: Be sure you and your guidance counselor agree on the best way to position your application for acceptance.

Financial Aid

When applying to college, Tom never applied for financial aid because he thought his family made too much money to qualify for assistance.

Takeaway: Regardless of your family’s income, always apply for financial aid. You may qualify for institutional aid, not based on income.

There is no shortage of very good college reference guides to help students and families work through college selection.

I am happy to recommend several – and most have online components to make your research even easier.

I encourage you to visit and study:

College Navigator. This site is sponsored by the Department of Education and contains a database of thousands of colleges and universities. The schools are listed by location, program and degree offerings.

Once considered a “stepchild” of higher education, many community colleges are now innovators and well deserving of the title.

Half of all current college students attend a community college.

Federal and state funding for community colleges has increased over the past several years and a great deal is being done at the community college level to match majors with workforce needs.

I recommend, especially if finances are a major issue for you, taking a serious look at enrolling in a two year school first and then transferring to a four-year college or university.

This will save you the cost of a four-year bachelor’s degree at a more expensive school while still allowing you to graduate with a degree from that four year school. Most community college students live at home so that saves you the cost of residence hall expenses. And most community college students work and do not borrow to meet living expenses.

If you decide to go the community college route, do the same investigation that you would do if you planned on attending a four year school.

Find out the successful transfer rate of the community college, the schools students transfer into, the percentage of students who stay for two years, the most popular majors, and the average debt.

Find out how many of the students with an associate’s degree get a job at graduation.

Be certain that your future career interests can be met by the curriculum.

I have a colleague who recently told me that he put all three of his children through college and graduate school with a cumulative debt of $90,000. And all three first attended a community college!

One of my daughters visited 23 college campuses and enrolled in the first one she visited! There is no need for you to do that. Read the book and narrow your choices to perhaps ten schools. You may have more or less, but use ten as a benchmark.

When you visit a school try to spend more than the time allotted by the admission office. If you can, arrange to spend a night is a residence hall. If you can, arrange to sit in on one first year class and one upper level class. Try, if you can, to meet with a professor in your major (if you have one).

Read bulletin boards and pick up a copy of the college newspaper. Forget about being shy and talk to students in the cafeteria, in the library, wherever you can.

Make sure you stop by the registrar’s office and get a copy of the catalog. Don’t forget to meet someone in the financial aid office. Pick up forms if they are available. Stop by the career counseling center and speak with someone about what career counseling you can expect from your first year through your senior year.

Early Action (EA) – You submit an application before November 1st, notified of a decision by December 15. However, if you receive an acceptance, it is not binding that you attend this school. You have until May 1st school of your decision and you are free to apply to other schools.

Early Decision (ED) – You submit an application by November 1st and will be notified of a decision by December 15th. However, if you receive an acceptance, it is binding that you attend this school. You may not apply to other schools.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Early Acceptance Programs

If you know for sure where you want to enroll and have done your homework and know that you have a very good chance of being accepted, then you should seriously consider applying as an ED candidate. If you are accepted, this will save you time and anxiety for the rest for your senior year. If you have done your homework,, you know you can afford to attend this school and that your academic and financial needs will be met.

If you are somewhat certain that you want to attend a particular school and you know you have a good chance of being accepted, then go ahead and apply as an EA candidate. If you are accepted, you still have the opportunity to apply to other schools and compare financial aid awards. But you have time, until May 1st to make a final decision.

I seriously believe that after reading my book, you will choose one of these options.